Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-12-15
THE NORTHWEST
LrrrER FnoM oINcINNArI.



expects, and she will certainly do all
that is possible 10 entertain them when
they come. or course, the Exposition
will BEL great success, and II win be a
departure from the old order Of things.
But Cincinnati itself to many of the
visitors will be full of interest. In the
frst place, there Is no other city In
America like II. It is not city like
New York, Chicago or Boston, but Il is
unique. All the business and manu-
featuring is done In great plain, while
The people live on the hills around
that Is, there Is the city proper, while
Il is ringed by circle of distinct SUBJ
urbs which are more beautiful than
aught there Is on this continent. Other
cities have q suburb or two, but none of
them have dozen suburbs of richness,
loveliness and possibilities which are
shown by what has already been done.
There Is no use denying that the city
proper IL soot-stained. 1t Is not as bad
as II was, but 1t Is still bad enough.
That Is why the people live on the hill
tops away from the dirt and smoke of
the great manufacturing metropolis.
But that does not prevent IL from be-
ing great and magnificent city, as the
Exposition visitors will find 1t, and
more than ever it can claim the title
which LoDgfellow gave it,
'The Queen of the West in her garlands drest
By the banks Of the beautiful river"
OF course, Cincinnati will be great
deal in print for some time to come,
and this brings to mind some famous
visitors to the city who have written
about 1t. There was Charles Dickens.
who came here in:l842. These are few
paragraphs from his account of 1t in
"American Notes"
cincinnati is beautiful city, cheer
full, thriving and animated. I have
not often seen city that commends it.
self SO favorably and pleasantly to a
stranger at first glance as this does,
with its clean houses of red and white,
its well-paved roads and foot-ways of
bright tile. Nor does it become less
prepossessing on closer acquaintance.
The streets are broad and airy, the
shops extremely good, the private resi-
dences remarkable for their elegance
and neatness. There is something of
invention and fancy in the varying
styles of these latter erections. The
disposition to ornament these pretty
villas and render them attractive, leads
to the culture of trees and flowers, and
to the laying out of well-kept gardens,
thesight of which, to those who walk
the streets, is inexpressibly refreshing
and agreeable.
"The society with which 1
mingled was intelligent, courteous and
agreeable. The inhabitants of Cincin-
natl are proud of their city as one of
the most interesting in America, and
with good reason; for beautiful and
thriving as 1t now is, and containing as
it does a population of fifty thousand
souls, but two and fifty years have
passed since the ground on which it
stands (bought at that time for few
dollars) was wildwood, and its citizens
were handful of settlers in scattered
log huts upon the river shore.n
Gould Charles Dickens SET Cincinna-
ii to-day, no longer q city of fifty
thousand. but of nearly four hundred
thousand, how he would praise and ad-
mire. If the great novelist could have
lived and come here in 'S8, he would
have seen the fair promise of the town
of '42 gloriously fulfilled. But where
his "pretty villas" stood he would find
great warehouses shutting out the
heavens and making the "broad and
airy" streets seem narrow and con-
tfacted.
But the most surprised visitor that
could come to the Centennial next wear
would be old Msdame Troliope,
mother Of Anthony, the novelist,
and the author Of that irritat-
ing Domestic Manners of the Ameri-
cans" She used to run an exposition
of her own, where everything imagina-
BILE was sold. She called her establish
ment "Trollope's Bazar,n and it stood
where the Lorraine, magnificent flat
building, now lifts its seven stories
skyward. She was clever woman,
but nothing here pleased her. doubt
not if she had stumbled upon the gold
en- streets of the Celestial City in
America that she would have found
fault with the climate, or perhaps the
costume of the angels would not have
suited her. Certainly she would have
found something to satirically criticise.
OF course, Cincinnati did not please
her. She had a disagreeable way
Of finding some one who had an
aptitude for being impolite,
and she would gravely assume that all
Americans were impolite. While here
she had servant girl who spent all her
money for finery and dressed much
more showily than did her mistress,
and she thereupon gravely informs her
readers that all American young wo-
men are consumed with a love for
dress, and spend every cent they get
to decorate their persons. Madame
Trollope said that the conversation of
young peolpe here was always senseless
and frivolous. AS an example of the
best conversation ever heard in Cincin-
natl irawing-rooms fifty years ago, she
gives this incident: * t..
IA young man calls upon young
woman, and coming In Unexpectedly
finds her sewing on a petticoat. There
can be no doubt as to the identityof the
garment.
"'And what are you making, Miss
Polly? he asks. ESk, 7sT
"'Oh, dress for sisters dolly
"'Fie, fie, Miss Polly, that is too
large for doll.'
"Then it is an apron for Aunt Chloe
"'Fie, fie, Miss Polly, no apron was
ever made like that
Nov she holds the petticoat up in
apparent confusion, while he outlaws
as though he had been saying the
weightiest things in creation.n
This, according to Mrs. Trollope, was
as high q tone as was permissible In
early Cincinnati society, and her other
standards are on the same plane.
Naturally, old Cincinnati did not